Northwest Arkansas Handweavers Guild in Springdale, Folklife Award

Описание: The Northwest Arkansas Handweavers Guild is one of the oldest weaving guilds in the United States. It has served Northwest Arkansas and the surrounding region for 75 years. The guild was established on April 5, 1949, when fourteen weavers, traveling from Greenland, Fayetteville, Bentonville, Fort Smith, Rogers and Eureka Springs, gathered in West Fork at the studio of Jane and Jan Jensen.

The guild’s mission is “to promote interest and greater skill in fiber arts, primarily weaving.” Since its inception, the Northwest Arkansas Handweavers Guild fulfills this mission by conducting public weaving demonstrations and exhibits at local institutions, including the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Scott Family Amazeum, Historic Cane Hill’s annual festival and the Fayetteville Public Library. One of the earliest guild exhibits, originally held in 1954 at guild president Blanche Elliot’s farm on War Eagle Creek, grew into an annual event and what is now the War Eagle Fair.

The Northwest Arkansas Handweavers Guild is dedicated to preserving the art of weaving by supporting traditional skills while also taking weaving in new directions. It sponsors beginner weaving classes as well as advanced workshops for weavers interesting in learning new techniques. Its monthly meetings at the Shiloh Museum in Springdale are open to the public and include educational programs and a chance for weavers to share their work.